SONOMA — A Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputy is expected to survive after getting shot at a gas station Sunday, officials said.

The manager of Jolly Washer gas station and car wash, located at 19249 Highway 12 in Sonoma, called for help around 11 a.m. to remove an employee from the premises. He told the dispatcher his employee, a 19-year-old man, was “acting strange” and looked like he was carrying a BB gun, sheriff’s deputies said.

The manager told his employee to go home, but he refused to leave, authorities said.

The two deputies arrived to find the employee standing behind a grey pickup truck in the car wash line. The man pulled out a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and fired it at the deputies, striking one of the officers in several places on his body, officials said.

Authorities said the bullets contained multiple, small-diameter pellets, commonly known as “bird shot” or “snake shot.”

One of the two deputies returned fire, but missed the gas station employee, who had ducked behind the truck. Deputies believe the employee’s gun jammed, and the man threw it down. The deputies then took him into custody and collected the handgun, which had several more bullets containing the small pellets.

Officials are not yet releasing the man’s name, said Sonoma County Sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Crum.

A helicopter arrived to transport the deputy to a nearby hospital. Crum said Sunday the deputy was in good condition after being hit in at least three places. Both he and his partner are senior officers with 10 or more years of experience, Crum said.

“We are thankful that our deputy is going to be OK, and we appreciate the community’s support during this difficult time,” officials from the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The Santa Rosa Police Department will take over the investigation, which is being treated as an officer-involved shooting, Crum said.

Erin Baldassari covers transportation, the Bay Area's housing shortage and breaking news. She served on the East Bay Times' 2017 Pulitzer Prize winning team for its coverage of the Ghost Ship fire. But most of all, she cares deeply about local news and hopes you do, too. If you'd like to support local journalism, please subscribe today.